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Applying ultrasound waves to the brain could be a revolutionary new way to treat dementia. The technique, which has been developed by scientists at Tohoku University in Japan, has been found to improve cognitive function in those with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
It is believed that using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) improves blood vessel formation and nerve cell...

Getting over a major depressive order becomes harder with age, according to a new study by researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. They found that elderly people are more likely to have severe and persistent symptoms than their younger counterparts.
Data was collected and analysed relating to 1,042 adults between the ages of 18 and 88 who had all suffered with a major depressive...

Tackling Alzheimer’s disease is a multifaceted issue, but among the biggest obstacles to overcome is not being able to see the origins of the condition. This may be about to change after researchers at Purdue University in the US developed a super-resolution nanoscope.
The device not only presents a 3D view of the molecules in the brain, but it does so at a resolution ten times higher than...

The average person’s lifespan could be expanded, and their overall health improved into old age with two drugs that are already available. These are the findings of a new study carried out by a team consisting of members from both the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
As part of the ageing process, more cells start to release toxic chemicals, which in turn leads to many of...

Declining eyesight is an issue for many elderly people and, while not being able to see properly causes a detrimental effect in itself, it could have more far reaching consequences. Poor vision can lead to a lack of stimulation and therefore a loss in cognitive capacity, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Miami have looked into the deterioration of quality of life as people...

The relatives of people with dementia could have their minds put an ease with a new proposal to help keep an eye on their loved ones. Slippers fitted with a GPS tracker could soon become available from the NHS.
It comes after many incidences of dementia sufferers wandering off without telling anybody where they’re going. What’s more, they do not know themselves and can become disorientated and...

Some of the most common medicines used for treating Parkinson’s disease in the UK could lead patients into compulsive behaviour, it has been warned. Researchers at the Sorbonne University in Paris have found a link between the drugs and an inability to control irresistible urges.
The dopamine agonists are thought to lead some Parkinson’s sufferers to become compulsive gamblers or binge eaters....

The elderly population should be taking probiotics to help prevent bone fractures, according to a new study. Research carried out by the University of Gothenburg found that supplementing diet with good bacteria can be particularly beneficial to the skeletons of older people.
As we get older, we lose bone mass, but the scientists found that women in their seventies that took probiotics halved...

Early diagnosis for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s represents the best opportunity for treatment. The first warning signs can be very subtle, however, and therefore often go unnoticed.
Now, a joint study undertaken by Microsoft and Duke University has found that an everyday home computer could help relatives to spot the first indications that there might be...

A huge breakthrough in the battle to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease has been achieved, which could see the condition reversed in the future. Up until now, the only treatment options that have shown any improvement have only worked when symptoms are diagnosed early.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to render the gene responsible for Alzheimer’s...